Hops

[YoungAllotmenteer]

Does anyone grow Hops? When I get my new house in the next few weeks, I want to brew my own Ale. Hops seem really easy to grow, so I have just ordered 3 different brewing varieties. Exactly where I am going to put them, I'm not 100% sure, one of those impulse purchases.

[hortusbrambonii]

They do grow in the wild over here in Belgium. I do think grow are quite easily once established. Attractive climber with edible sprouts in springtime too. (I did collect seeds of the wild form that grows here if anyone would be interested in that) It needs a bit of sun to grow, but I don't think there is much problems in growing them (if you are in a temperate climate that is)

If you want to grow hops for beer brewing, let me note that there are male and female plants, of which only the female plants give you hops (evidently). But the quality is much better when no seeds are formed, so traditionally only female plants are grown. (It even used to be forbidden to grow male plants in brewing areas here in Belgium in older times) The difference is in the flowers, but you might need a magnifying glass to recognise it if you're not experienced with them. Or if you wait, the female plants will form hops, the male won't, but you have hops with seed then...

[olddog]

i have grown it here in california, and no problems, though it seems to do better in filtered shade, (of trees) but the gophers love it.

[oxbowfarm]

The bines get really huge when well grown, so you need a very tall trellis that can be taken down so you can harvest your hops.

My good friend who is an avid home-brewer tried to grow some hops in his backyard. He has one huge plant behind his shed and several pathetic specimens growing on an incredibly elaborate trellis that was sadly located under a black walnut. From his experience, black walnut and hops do not play well together, probably that would also be true for English walnut.

[castanea]

I have grown about 10 different varieties. About a third have done really well, another third OK, and the other third not very well. Hops can be really picky about their climate. They also do best the farther north you are if you are in the northern hemisphere.